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Wednesday, September 11, 2019 1:00 am

Giordano's planned for Diebold Road

Kimberly Dupps Truesdell | For The Journal Gazette

Chicago fans can rejoice. And I'm not talking about predictions for a winning Bears season (admittedly, I know nothing of football and am not capable of such things).

I'm talking food, of course, and it looks like a Giordano's location is planned for the north side of the city. An application has been filed with the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, and says that Stuffed Za LLC plans to open a Giordano's at 10180 Diebold Road.

A location is not listed on the company's website, and an email seeking more information was not immediately returned.

The address on the application is near the AMC theater on Dupont Road across from Parkview Regional Medical Center.

Giordano's got its start in 1974, with its first restaurant on Chicago's south side. The restaurant is known for its stuffed deep dish pizza, which means there's an extra layer of crust separating the toppings from the cheese. The menu also features thin crust (and extra-thin crust) pizza, sandwiches and pasta dishes.

Giordano's has four locations in Indiana – two in Indianapolis, one in Greenwood and one in Schererville.

Trubble adds hours

After opening less than a month ago, Trubble Riverside has expanded its hours.

The cafe and tap room at Promenade Park is now open every day, with hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Response to Trubble Riverside (and the new park) has been overwhelmingly positive. During opening weekend, the team poured 1,200 gallons of beer. A new fermenter has been added to Trubble Brewing on Broadway to increase production.

Curly's turning 50

Curly's Village Inn has been the location for countless 50th birthday and anniversary parties. Now it's the family-owned-and-operated pub's turn to celebrate the big 5-0.

Owners David and Tina Brown, who have owned the pub since 2012, plan to host a party this fall.

The bar gets its name from original owner Paul “Curly” Armstrong, who opened the pub, 4205 Bluffton Road, in 1969 with wife Mary Armstrong. As a retired Indiana basketball legend and local celebrity, Curly served up sports stories and suds to regulars while Mary managed the kitchen and office.

After Curly's death in 1983, Mary continued as a hands-on owner, working almost daily at the bar for 42 years. She retired in 2012 and sold the bar to her son David Brown and his wife, Tina Brown. Following her retirement, Mary was frequently found on her stool at Curly's, assuming a new role as a regular patron, until her death in 2017.

When the Browns bought Curly's Village Inn, they continued its commitment to good food in a friendly atmosphere.

The city's first Wingstop location is set to open at 407 Coliseum Blvd. W. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday.

Owner Mark McLaurine says the restaurant is the product of entrepreneurship meeting great flavors.

“I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he says. “Wingstop has a simplified menu that's customer-friendly and easy to operate, and when I first tasted their food, I was sold.”

McLaurine, an Indiana State University graduate, has experience with the franchise. He opened a Wingstop in Terre Haute in 2016 and quickly found success there.

Established in Garland, Texas, in 1994, Wingstop is an aviation-themed, fast-casual restaurant chain. Wingstop features 12 wing flavors, ranging from the sweet and tangy Hawaiian option to the sweat-inducing atomic variety, plus sides like fries and veggie sticks. Wingstop has grown to include more than 1,250 locations worldwide.

McLaurine aims to eventually open additional locations in the Fort Wayne area.

All attendees must be 21 years old, and the event will be casual dress.

Year of the vegan

According to the Economist, 2019 is “the year of the vegan.”

There's been the launch of the Impossible Whopper at Burger King, and a vegan chicken sandwich at KFC. Subway is testing out a vegan meatball sub. Qdoba and Blaze Pizza have also added meatless meats.

But a local initiative wants to show that vegan food can be more than just gimmicks and salads.

Fort Wayne Vegan Restaurant Week will be Nov. 4 to 10, in correlation with World Vegan Month. Unlike traditional restaurant weeks that provide a fixed-price menu, participating restaurants are encouraged to offer a special vegan menu in addition to their regular fare that week to make it more affordable for all diners.

“We want to highlight how easy and delicious it is to eat a vegan diet,” organizer Heather Dahman says. “When I became vegan over 10 years ago, we had one vegan restaurant and very few options other than a salad at others. Today, more and more restaurants are offering a variety of delicious plant-based options.”

A list of participating restaurants and menus will be added soon at FortWayneVegan.com. To participate, restaurants can sign up on the website by Oct. 1.

Bagel spot opens

The first Fort Wayne location of Einstein Bros. Bagels opened Monday on the ground floor of Kettler Hall on the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus.

“We are thrilled to partner withEinstein Bros. and we're looking forward to serving the campus in a new way,” says Eric May, food service director with Aramark Campus Dining. Aramark will continue offering dining services on the campus at several locations.

Grand opening festivities for Einstein Bros. will take place the week of Sept. 23.

Einstein Bros. Bagels is also included on the university's meal plan. Hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday. It will be closed on weekends, holidays and whenever classes are not in session.

Around town

• Today, Logan's Roadhouse will give all first responders a free American Roadhouse meal in honor of 9/11. The offer is valid from 3 to 6 p.m.

The Dish features restaurant news and food events and appears Wednesdays. Fax news items to 461-8893, email kdupps@jg.net or call 461-8304 at least two weeks before event or desired publication.